JUNO BEACH, Fla., March 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that it has been named a World's Most Ethical Company® for the ninth time by the Ethisphere Institute, the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. The world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun is the only electric utility company in the U.S. to receive this recognition in 2016 and one of just four worldwide. Only 131 companies across more than 45 industries worldwide were selected for this prestigious honor.

"To be the only U.S. electric utility to earn this important recognition is a real tribute to our extremely talented team of more than 14,000 employees," said Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy. "Each and every day, our team works hard to deliver clean, affordable and reliable energy to our customers across North America, and they do so ethically and responsibly. This prestigious honor belongs to them."

The World's Most Ethical Company® assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute's proprietary rating system, the corporate Ethics Quotient™. The information collected via the Ethics Quotient™ captures a company's performance in an objective, consistent and standardized way.

In considering companies for this list, the Ethisphere Institute evaluated NextEra Energy's strategies and results in five key categories:

Ethics and compliance program;

Corporate citizenship and responsibility;

Culture of ethics;

Governance; and

Leadership, innovation and reputation.

"NextEra Energy is a great example of a company that clearly defines its mission, clarifies that mission through its public, social, and environmental policies and actions, and leads with innovation," stated Ethisphere's Chief Executive Officer Timothy Erblich. "We not only recognize their commitment to provide renewable and clean energy, but their leadership that energizes employees and communities, and places high importance on being a responsible corporate citizen. Congratulations to everyone at NextEra Energy on being named a 2016 World's Most Ethical Company."

The Ethisphere Institute's recognition is the latest in a series of achievements for NextEra Energy, including:

No. 1 in its industry in Fortune's "World's Most Admired Companies" ranking: Last month, NextEra Energy was ranked No. 1 among the world's electric and gas utilities in Fortune's 2016 "World's Most Admired Companies" listing. In that same ranking, NextEra Energy was also recognized in the electric and gas utility industry as No. 1 in each of the categories of social responsibility, people management, innovation, quality of products and services, global competitiveness, and use of corporate assets.

Delivery of outstanding value to utility customers: Over the course of 2015, the company's rate-regulated electric utility, Florida Power & Light Company, continued to strengthen and deliver a customer value proposition that includes high reliability, award-winning customer service, a clean emissions profile, and a typical residential customer bill that is the lowest in Florida and among the lowest in the nation.

Top "green utility" in the United States: NextEra Energy in 2015 was ranked as the top "green utility" in the United States and No. 4 in the world based on carbon emissions and renewable energy capacity, according to the latest annual report from EI Energy Intelligence, an independent provider of global energy and geopolitical news, analysis, data and research.

Department of Defense "Above and Beyond Award": NextEra Energy in 2015 was one of 10 employers in Florida honored by the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for going "above and beyond" legal requirements in support of Guard and Reserve employees. ESGR, which is part of the Department of Defense, develops and promotes employer support for National Guardsmen and Reservists.

NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.5 billion, approximately 46,400 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), and approximately 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada as of year-end 2015. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves more than 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from eight commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2016 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.